Closure



March 24, 1936. I c, HOPER 2,035,234

CLOSURE Filed Aug. 1, 1954 ig a1.

' Imf 16% 620"! Hope/ orne Patented Mar. 24, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Claims.

The invention relates to improvements in closures and particularly to an improved closure or wing shutter for a hot water heater having a forced air circulation. therethrough, prefer- 5 ably of the type adapted for installation in motor vehicles, or the like.

An object of the invention is to provide a water heater of the character referred to with improved wing shutters adjustably mounted for diverting a. forced. draft in' a plurality of directions.

Another object is to provide an improved closure for a heating and ventilating device, with an opening therein adapted to be closed by an adjustably mounted cover.

Another object is to provide a closure of the character referred to with improved adjustable means for diverting streams of therethrough.

Another object is to provide a heating and ventilating device with improved adjustable closures mounted and assembled to prevent rattling and insure retention, in adjusted position, of the parts.

The foregoing and such other objects of the invention as will appear hereinafter as the description proceeds, will be more readily understood from a perusal of the following specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of a heating, and circulating device, showing the improved shutters mounted thereon.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view, taken 35 substantially on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig; 3 is' a rear elevational view of one of the improved shutters.

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view, taken substantially on line 44 of Fig. 3, showing the 4,0 shutter on the heating and ventilating device closed, and the cover thereon in full lines in one of its open positions, and in dotted lines in another of its positions.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 4, showing the cover in another position.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 5, showing a modified form of the improved structure.

The improved closure plates or shutters ll may be mounted upon any known type of water heater and air circulating device for heating and ventilating motor vehicles. A conventional form of heating and ventilating device I2 is shown in the accompanying drawing, preferably including a suitable shell l3 having a central air passing passageway therein. containing water tubes l4 and fins l5, forming ordinary radiator construction through which air passes for heating. A motor operated fan I6 is arranged upon the rear side of the heater unit to force air through the radiator construction, which air is heated and is directed in various directions determined by the position of the shutters H.

As shown, a pair of the shutters H are provided, each having one of its longitudinal edges rolled or otherwise provided with a hinge part I! for receiving a pivotal pin I8 having its ends journaled in the shell l3. The shutters II are adapted to be swung about the vertical pins l8 to close the air passage through the radiator structure, or to divert air passing therethrough horizontally towards each side thereof. As shown in Fig. 2, either one or both of the shutters ll may be opened, thereby providing means to control the volume of air discharged and the direction of flow of such discharge.

To prevent rattling of the shutters and to hold them in any adjusted position about the pivotal pins 18, the bead I1 is cut away, as at l9, adjacent each end of each shutter, to provide openings, each adapted to receive a coil spring 2| placed around each end of each pin l8. When inplace, the springs 2| are compressed slightly, their respective ends bearing against the ends of bead l1 and the shell l3. This form of mounting provides a yieldable cushioning device adapted to take up any clearance or play resulting from wear between the shutters and shell l3.

Each shutter II is provided with a substantially rectangular opening 22 having rearwardly directed flanges 23 on its longitudinal edges, and lips or flanges-Mon its lateral edges to provide a smooth outside finish. The openings 22 are adapted to be closed by suitable covers 25, preferably formed of sheet metal having its edges rolled rearwardly, as at 26. A bracket 21 having spaced apertured ears 28 is secured in any suitable manner to the rear face of the covers 25 adjacent one end. Pivotally mounted between the ears 28 of each bracket is one end of a link structure 29, of any suitable construction. However, it is preferable that said link structures be of sheet metal, formed with parallel side members 3| connected, intermediate their ends, by a suitable bridge 32 for insuring rigidity thereto.

While the cover is in place over the opening, the link structure 29 is disposed between the flanges 23, its free end being pivotally connected to said flanges adjacent the end of said opening opposite the end of the cover carrying bracket 21. The hinge structure 29 is connected with the spaced ears 28 and with flanges 23 by suitable threaded pins 33, each having a spring 34 interposed between the side members 3|, of the hinged structure, and nuts 35 threaded on said screws. The springs 34 are, like springs 2|, compressed slightly to provide a yieldable frictional pivotal mounting for the various parts to prevent rattling ofthe parts and to retain said parts adjusted.

The novel means for mounting the covers 25 over the openings 22 in the shutters ll provides flexibly mounted covers that can be opened into and held in any one of a plurality of positions for diverting air downwardly, as shown in Fig. 4, or upwardly as illustrated in Fig. 5. Such positioning of the covers provides discharge openings for the warm air when the shutters II are in closed position, as illustrated at 36 in Fig. 6, thus providing a closure having an opening therein adapted to be closed by a cover mounted to swing outwardly and upwardly for diverting an air stream downwardly.

It can readily be understood that the efliciency of a heater and. air circulator provided with the improved closures is greatly increased, because the heated air passing therethrough may be diverted or otherwise directed in any direction, as for example, horizontally toward either or both sides of the heater, or upwardly or downwardly, as preferred. The closure structure, while being very flexible, as to adjustability, is frictionally held in any of its numerous adjusted positions and will not readily become misadjusted, or cause annoyance by rattling noises normally created by the flow of air, or by vibration of the motor vehicle.

Although the improved shutters are shown applied to a hot water heating and ventilating device, it is to be understood that these improved shutters may be readily applied to any air discharge outlet wherein it is'desired to control the direction of flow of said air, and although exemplary forms of the construction have been shown in the accompanying drawing and described in detail in the foregoing specification, it is to be understood that the improved shutters may embody various modifications in detail structure without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A closure for a heater of the character referred to comprising, in combination, a substantially rectangular plate adapted to be hingedly mounted on said heater along one longitudinal edge, said plate having a substantially rectangular opening therein, rearwardly directed flanges on the longitudinal edges of said opening, and a cover for said opening hingedly connected by a link with said flanges, said cover being movable into a plurality of angular positions relative to said plate to allow passage of air through said opening.

2. A closure for a heater of the character referred to comprising, in combination, a substantially rectangular plate adapted to be hingedly mounted on said heater along one longitudinal edge, said plate having a substantially rectangular opening, rearwardly directed flanges 'onthe longitudinal edges of said opening, a cover for said opening, and means connecting said cover with said flanges allowing limited movement of said cover independently of said plate.

3. In a heating and ventilating device adapted to have a forced draft therethrough, a closure for said device comprising, in combination, a pair of closure plates adapted to be hingedly mounted on said device for adjustment along adjacent edges to direct separate streams of air in opposed directions, each of said closures having a substantially rectangular opening, a rectangular cover for each of said openings, and mounting means for said covers to allow adjustment of said covers relative to the closure plates to direct the streams of air passing through said openings.

4. In a heating and ventilating device adapted to have a forced draft therethrough including a shell having an air passageway therein, the combination of, closure plates for said passagee way adapted to be hingedly mounted on said shell for independent movement into open and closed position, said plates being adapted, when in open position, to deflect air passing out of said pasageway in a predetermined direction, each of said plates having an opening, a cover for each of said openings, and link, connected at one end, one to each of said plates, at one end of said opening, said links being connected at their other end one to one end of each cover whereby said covers may be moved into any one of a plurality of open positions to deflect air passing throughsaid openings in a different direction.

5. A closure for a heater of the character described eomprising, in combination, a plate adapted to be hingedly mounted on said heater along one edge, said plate having an opening, rearwardly directed flanges on opposed edges of said opening, and a cover for said opening hingedly connected by a link with said flanges, said cover being movable into a plurality of angular positions relative to said plate to allow passage of air through said opening.

CARL HOPER, 

